Women sue Wicomico schools for discrimination

Two former Wicomico County public school employees are suing the Board of Education and its members for $6 million, claiming they were fired because the school system held them to different standards than men in similar positions.

Filed in U.S. District Court in Baltimore last week, former employees Stacy Messick and Stephanie Moses allege the board, along with superintendent John Fredericksen, subjected the two to "a continuing series of discriminatory conduct against them because of their sex and in the case of Plaintiff Messick, age."

Moses worked as the board Personnel Specialist since Nov. 1, 1995, according to the suit, and Messick was employed as the board's Coordinator of Employee Relations starting on July 20, 2009.

The suit – which seeks $3 million per woman – claims the two were the only females in administrative roles at the board and were replaced by male employees.

The two allege their termination in 2012 was based on discriminatory practices by superintendent Fredericksen and that he and the board helped maintain "a general and consistent pattern and practice of sex and age discrimination against Female employees of the Board of Education of Wicomico County."

Board president Ronald Willey declined to comment on the pending suit. Spokeswoman Tracy Sahler said the school system has not received any details on the pending suit and would not comment on any pending litigation.

The two received letters of termination from Fredericksen on Jan. 11, 2012, according to the suit.

In an emailed statement Wednesday, Messick said the two were fired in retaliation for filing a discrimination complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the commission agreed, allowing the two to move forward with the suit after reviewing the complaint.

"We feel strongly that our terminations were wrongful and based on illegal discrimination and retaliation for filing a complaint of discrimination against the superintendent and Board of Education," the statement reads. "We are glad the EEOC agreed with the allegations in our complaint of retaliation and are eager to bring this matter to closure in accordance with the EEOC findings."

Messick and Moses are suing the district for $3 million each plus interest, costs and attorney fees.

The two lost an appeal of their termination heard before the state Board of Education in 2013.

Prior to the two's termination in early 2012, the suit alleges that Fredericksen unjustly targeted them, issuing disciplinary memos in late 2011 against the two women for infractions their male counterparts were also guilty of but were not reprimanded for.

After appealing the memos and filing a discrimination complaint against Fredericksen, the two allege the board mishandled both Messick's and Moses's complaints, not following the measures set forth by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

In both cases, the suit says the appeals and discrimination complaints were "initially suppressed from the entire Board by (Board President Willey), who then falsely replied on behalf of the Board."

After the investigation began, the suit also names Cathy Townsend, the current assistant superintendent for administrative services, saying she "discriminated against (Messick and Moses) by knowingly being aware of the proper guidance of the EEOC and failing to adhere."

Townsend is also alleged to have illegally named herself an investigator into the discrimination complaints, supported "retaliatory acts against witnesses" for Moses and Messick and encouraged witnesses not to testify on the two's behalf.

The suit alleges further misconduct by Fredericksen, saying that he ordered fellow employees to record Messick's internet history as well as make copies of the hard drives of the two former employees' computers.

In early December, the suit claims that Fredericksen told both Messick and Moses he was aware the two were communicating with the President of a local teachers union, saying he told the two they were of "great concern" to him and could possibly lead to "adverse employment action." The teachers union is not specified in the suit.

On Dec. 28, 2011, the two were placed on administrative leave by the superintendent, claiming he did not provide "context of the allegations made to (Messick and Moses) prior to the meeting, as well as not investigating the veracity of the allegations made," the suit reads.

"After this meeting, there was no investigation by (Fredericksen) into the claims made. This depravation of due process is unlike all other disciplinary matters handled at the Board," the suit continues.

Messick said her and Moses's "reputations (were) ruined and ourselves and our families significantly impacted and harmed by the wrongful and illegal actions of the board of education, superintendent and other individuals."